


runaway bride

by Chels_ea



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: F/M, One Shot, bella doesn't want to get married
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:07:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24376996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chels_ea/pseuds/Chels_ea
Summary: When Bella was little, she would watch her mother put makeup on in the mornings. She would try to picture herself in her place, to see what she would look like when she was all grown up. But now, Bella was not going to grow up.
Relationships: Edward Cullen/Bella Swan
Comments: 1
Kudos: 40





	runaway bride

Bella was not going to hurl. She may be nauseous, she may even be feeling tears prickle at the back of her eyes, but she was not going to hurl. 

The overwhelming smell of hairspray and perfume was trying to prove her otherwise. Alice had run off somewhere, twittering around like a bird. Bella was exhausted. Her face felt heavy with her puffy eyes, as if her whole face was being pulled down by the sheer gravity of them. She inspected herself in the mirror. Thanks to Alice, you couldn’t tell in the least.

She looked every part of the blushing bride. 

“Bella, sweetie, let me get your necklace.” Her mom smiled at her in the reflection of the mirror, and she tried not to grimace in response. Renée hooked a simple teardrop diamond around Bella’s neck. At one point, early in the engagement, Renée had called nearly every day. A constant barrage of wedding questions-  _ oh, darling, that ring is so beautiful but it’s a bit hard to match, don’t you think? What kind of flowers are you thinking, classic or eclectic? What did your friends at school say when you told them?  _ Bella didn’t want to answer most of the questions, and couldn’t answer the rest. She had stopped returning her calls, had referred her to Alice one too many times, and eventually, Renée grew distant. 

Bella knew that her mother felt left out in the planning. It was hard to make herself care- after all, she felt left out too. But watching her mother carefully adjust the necklace filled Bella’s chest with an ache. Soon, her mother would think she was dead. Her eighteen year old daughter, who she once doted and depended on, cold in a casket. Bella wondered what it would be like to lay still while her mother weeped over her body. Would she be sad, or would she just struggle to not tear her apart in her bloodlust?

“I can’t wait to see your dress, dear.” Her mom smiled, her eyes crinkling. Next to each other in the mirror like this, it was clear how similar they looked. Her mom was tanner from her new life in Florida, but their features were the same. When Bella was little, she would watch her mother put makeup on in the mornings. She would try to picture herself in her place, to see what her body would look like when she was all grown up. But now, Bella was not going to grow up. 

She was certain, had she been able to eat anything in the last twenty-four hours, it would have already come up. 

“Of course it was beautiful in the pictures,” Her mother continued, “So clever, to theme the wedding around the ring.” 

Ah, yes, her “vintage” ring. What her mother didn’t know is that the wedding was truly themed around  _ Edward  _ himself. A vintage styled dress and ring to match the vintage groom himself. She quirked a smile at her thoughts. There. Safe territory. Edward was going to be waiting at the end of the aisle, she just had to get there first. He would smile at her and she would forget all of her misgivings about weddings and marriage. Just as she had when he smiled at her and proposed. 

“I never thought I would be getting married.” She said quietly. It was mostly to herself, but her mom perked up at the statement. Bella had been near silent all morning. 

“Well darling!” She laughed. “Neither did I, that’s for sure. Don’t you remember what you said when I married Phil?” 

“ _ Marriage is an archaic concept that treats women like cattle and men as lords _ .” They recited together, and both laughed lightly. 

“To clarify, I did not say that to  _ you _ .” Bella protested, “It was your wedding day, I would never!”

“Yes, thanks for that.” Renée pinched her side lightly, “Unfortunately when you told your four-year-old cousin, she spent the next three hours repeating it.” 

“I thought she ought to know.” Bella laughed, and then sighed, “That seems like so long ago.” 

“It was only two years ago,” Renée responded. Alice came in then, a flurry of activity surrounding her. As graceful as she was, even she looked chaotic. She held a clipboard, and sent quick commandments to Rosalie and Esme. Something to do with the bouquets and corsages. Bella didn’t even try to keep up, although she did wonder if it was difficult for them to keep human pace. 

“Renée, Phil is looking for you. He says you have his car keys.” Alice said, giving Bella an air kiss as she spun past her. 

“Oh!” Renée patted her pocket and winced, “That I do! See you in a moment, dear.” She threw her own keys on the vanity, probably an attempt to remember where they would be in the future. Her mother was nothing if not predictable. 

And with that, she was alone. It was the first time she had been alone all morning, and she was sure it would be brief. She gasped, air ripping through her throat as if she hadn’t been breathing before. 

She was desperate to talk to Edward. She knew, even as upright in tradition that he was, she only had to call his name for him to appear. He couldn’t be that far, perhaps he could even hear her pounding heart. Bella’s thoughts in her head were like a fire, panic jumped from each lit thought to the next. The only coherent thing she could get herself to think was  _ I wish Alice wasn’t a psychic.  _ At least then, Forks might do the one fucking thing it was good for and rain. If it rained that badly, maybe they could postpone. She just needed some time-  _ some fucking time.  _ She couldn’t stop thinking about what Renée said. Two years was all it took for Bella to change her entire code of ethics. 

In only a year and a half she had met Edward, fallen in love, had him leave, had him come back, _ gotten engaged,  _ and now she was getting married. 

She had worked herself into a full panic now, pacing across the room. Makeup and hairspray and women’s clothing were littered across the space, and at one point she almost tripped over her heeled wedding shoes that were lying on the floor. Those  _ fucking  _ shoes! 

But wasn’t it worth it? Wasn’t Edward worth it? She loved him down to her  _ bones-  _ wasn’t that worth a few hours of pretend? She felt like an imposter in this fancy house, wearing this giant rock on her finger, driving this fancy new car. She wished her truck was here. She could just go for a short ride, and come right back. Just get some fresh air. If she went to the Mercedes Guardian waiting for her, it would just remind her of what she couldn’t have anymore. A shitty truck and a shitty dirt bike and her shitty little life. 

She couldn’t take it anymore. She couldn’t lie there while her parent’s sobbed over her dead body, she couldn’t be a  _ wife  _ at eighteen years old. 

But what the fuck was she going to do? 

Earlier, Alice had complained that Seth had arrived. She was annoyed that she wouldn’t be able to see if anyone would be running late, now that he was here. That gave Bella an opportunity that she wouldn’t normally have. Alice usually watched her future like a hawk, waiting to tell Edward if there was any hint of Bella going off to La Push or doing anything reckless. What normally was a slight annoyance, now filled Bella with rage. 

_ Why wouldn’t anyone let her make her own fucking choices? _

Bella’s hands found the keys of her mother’s beat-up Jeep before she realized what she was doing. She looked frantically for a pen and paper, and settled for an eyeliner and blotting paper. 

_ I love you. I’m sorry.  _

She didn’t have time to write more, and she didn’t know what she would say if she could. 

Bella ran. The house was empty, everyone was outside greeting guests and doing last minute chores. She could hear people laughing and talking. She wondered if it would hide the noise of her beating heart from the Cullens. She could hear her footprints echoing in the big house, but she reached the garage without any interference. Bella was grateful she hadn’t put her dress on yet, and doubly so that she hadn’t put on those  _ fucking  _ shoes. She was acting without much thought, desperation and relief taking over the sheer panic of before. 

When she started her mother’s car, she thought back to when she was a little girl. She would watch her mother put her makeup on in the morning, and wonder if she would grow up to be just like her. 


End file.
